Faraimo Garcia Godin Jordan Nickles PerezFaraimo Garcia Godin Jordan Nickles Perez

Top Row: Megan Faraimo, Rachel Garcia, Kelli Godin; Bottom Row: Aaliyah Jordan, Bubba Nickles, Briana Perez

Six Bruins Named to USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List

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A social media roundup on all the UCLA Softball news in January.

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OKLAHOMA CITY - A record six Bruins, redshirt seniors Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles, redshirt juniors Aaliyah Jordan and Briana Perez and redshirt sophomores Megan Faraimo and Kelli Godin were named to the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, as announced on Wednesday. 

UCLA led all schools with its six honorees, with Alabama and Washington recording four apiece and Arizona, Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Texas posting three each.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award enters its 19th season and recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players across the country. Garcia has won the last two POYs (2018 and 2019) and is one of two Bruins to have been bestowed the award (Stacey Nuveman, 2002). Redshirt and true freshmen are ineligible for consideration to the Watch List, but can be added to future lists as the season progresses.

The Top 25 finalists will be announced on April 21. While an athlete does not have to be on the Watch List to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 finalists. The Top 10 will be announced on May 5 and the Top 3 on May 19. The 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed on June 1.

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The USA POY Watch List hasn't been the only news regarding the Bruins this month. UCLA has been ranked No. 1 by numerous media outlets. Additionally, the Bruins have the top-ranked freshmen, sophomores and juniors in Softball America's preseason rankings. Below is the news you need to know about the defending national champions before the season gets underway in a couple of weeks:

We're No. 1!
The Bruins are ranked first in three major polls that have been announced this month. UCLA received all 32 first-place votes in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll.



UCLA was also No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Top 25, earning 19 of 20 first-place votes, as well as No. 1 in the D1Softball poll.





Best in Class
This preseason, Softball America has announced the Top 25 in each class among freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The Bruins have the top player in each of those classes. In the junior class, Jordan is ranked No. 1, while Perez is at No. 12. Faraimo is the top-ranked sophomore, with Godin checking in at No. 5. In the freshmen class, Maya Brady is first and Lexi Sosa checks in at No. 24. The senior class is expected to be announced on Feb. 2.







Preseason Plaudits
Softball America also announced their 2021 Preseason College Top 100. Garcia checked in at No. 1, while Jordan (No. 7) and Faraimo (No. 8) were also in the Top 10. Nickles is No. 18, Perez is No. 33, Brady is No. 36 and Godin is No. 44.



D1Softball and NCAA Softball also did a "Fall Report" on the Bruins.